Nellie Andreeva wrote:At its upfront presentation in New York today, Cartoon Network announced the 2012 launch of DC Nation, an on-air and online programming block of DC animation properties "populated with event programming, interstitials, exclusive behind-the-scenes of theatrical production and an insider look into the world of all things DC." The block, whose content will be produced by Warner Bros. Animation, is the latest effort under Time Warner's new mandate to better integrate DC Comics with the company's film and TV divisions.

DC Nation is part of Cartoon Network's slate of new programming presented to advertisers today, which includes 13 new animated series, 19 returning shows, and the network’s newest live-action scripted comedy series, Level Up. DreamWorks Animation SKG CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg made an appearance to talk about the company's half-hour CG-animated series for Cartoon Network based on the film's How to Train Your Dragon. Additionally, the network announced fourth season renewals for the LucasFilm Animation's Star Wars: The Clone Wars and animated comedy reality show franchise, Total Drama.

Here is a rundown of Cartoon Network's new series, which include previously announced Looney Toons, ThunderCats and Green Lantern:

* The Problem Solverz: Created by celebrated artist Ben Jones, The Problem Solverz presents a fresh, distinctive visual style and tone in a new series that follows three crazy young dudes, Horace, Roba and Alfe, the proprietors of an unorthodox detective agency dedicated to solving the mysteries of the universe, one case at a time. Slated to premiere Monday, April 4, at 8:45 p.m. (ET/PT).

* Secret Mountain Fort Awesome: From Pete Browngardt (Chowder), Cartoon Network Studios presents a hilarious new comedy about a mega-rad group of monsters that live underground and do crazy awesome stuff like steal the sun, fight CGI-sharks, and get their butts kicked by a velociraptor. Plus they wrestle! See, it’s awesome, right? But remember, it’s a secret. Shh!...premiering this summer. * The Amazing World of Gumball: Dad is a 6’4" pink rabbit who stays home while Mom works in the rainbow factory. Their children include Gumball, a blue cat with a giant head; Anais, a 4-year-old genius bunny; and Darwin, a pet goldfish who became part of the family when he sprouted legs. The eye-catching animated series combines 2D and 3D animation techniques in a live-action setting and originates from Cartoon Network UK. The Amazing World of Gumball premieres Monday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT). * The Looney Tunes Show: Screen icons Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are back, starring in an all-new modern comedy series from Warner Bros. Animation featuring all of the favorite Looney Tunes characters—Porky Pig, Speedy Gonzales, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, the Tasmanian Devil, Marvin the Martian, Tweety, Sylvester, Granny, Gossamer, Lola and Tina, Daffy’s new no-nonsense girlfriend. Fresh designs coupled with a vivid, contemporary animation style enhance the timeless wit and charm that make these classic characters so beloved around the world. The Looney Tunes Show will premiere on Tuesday, May 3, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).

* Level Up: After high schoolers Wyatt (Gaelan Connell), Lyle (Jessie T. Usher), Dante (Connor del Rio) and Angie (Aimee Carrero) unwittingly open a portal from a video game into the real world, characters from the game and internet start leaking into the real world. The group now finds themselves balancing their everyday lives with the extraordinary things that show up in their town. Level Up is created and written by Derek Guiley and David Schneiderman (both credited for Chasing Liberty) and executive produced by Peter Murrieta (Wizards of Waverly Place, Hope and Faith).

* New Ben 10 Series [Title TBD]: Ben 10 has been one of Cartoon Network’s most successful original series since first premiering on the network in January 2006. The franchise has since spawned four animated series, one animated movie, two live-action movies, a widely-popular consumer products line and has captured the imaginations of viewers on a global scale. * ThunderCats: The re-imagined animated series based on the beloved 80s classic tells the tale of a hero’s epic journey to fulfill his ultimate destiny. On Third Earth, the kingdom of Thundera is being threatened by the evil sorcerer Mumm-Ra and young heir to the throne Lion-O embarks on a great quest to take his rightful place as king. The unlikely champion, joined by his faithful comrades Tygra, Cheetara, Panthro, WilyKit, WilyKat and his loyal pet Snarf, must work together to save their world from darkness.

* Green Lantern: The Animated Series: Based upon the DC Comics super hero, the series is an all-new CG animated action series from Warner Bros. As Earth’s Green Lantern, Hal Jordan is used to being in dangerous situations—but he’s never faced anything like this! Set at the farthest reaches of deep space, Hal must face down an invasion from the Red Lantern Corps. Hal is soon joined by an all-new group of heroes on a mission to protect Guardian Space —and the Green Lantern Corps itself! * DC Nation: A multi-platform, branded block of original programming and exclusive content based on the DC Comics library of legendary character properties, DC Nation is developed in partnership with Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. The all-new venture will harness the publishing, theatrical and television assets together for one powerful on-air block on Cartoon Network with exclusive online content. * How to Train Your Dragon: Based on the book by Cressida Cowell, DreamWorks Animation’s new series rolls fire-breathing action, epic adventure and laughs into a captivating and original story. Hiccup is a young Viking who defies tradition when he befriends one of his deadliest foes—a ferocious dragon he calls Toothless. Together, the unlikely heroes must fight against all odds to save both of their worlds. * Total Drama: Revenge of the Island: It’s back to the island where Total Drama began for an all-new season with an all-new cast! Since Chris took the show worldwide, Camp Wawanakwa has been abandoned and turned into a toxic nuclear waste dump—the perfect place for a new season of painful, cringe-inducing challenges! Fighting for the million dollar prize are thirteen wild new players.

* RedaKai: Conquer the Kairu: An animated kids adventure series stars Ky, a 15-year-old student of ancient martial arts who embarks on an incredible quest to find the Kairu, a primordial alien energy force. Helped by his friends Maya and Boomer, Ky travels the globe looking for the Kairu to protect it from his extraterrestrial teenage opponents, with the hope that one day he will become the greatest Kairu warrior of them all–a Redakai.

* Lego Ninjago: After a time of peace in Ninjago, our four Ninja heroes are about to face a new dangerous enemy. Lloyd Garmadon, son of their archenemy Lord Garmadon, has unleashed a new evil with unique powers. Soon his ambition to follow in his father’s footsteps has put all of Ninjago in jeopardy.

Sam Thielman wrote:Variety Exclusive:Joel Silver has signed on to develop a live-action feature film based on Cartoon Network's "Ben 10" sci-fi franchise, with an eye toward distribution through Warner Bros.

The show, popular with boys, has consistently logged high ratings in both cartoon series and live-action TV movie form on the Turner kidnet, nearing the 4 million viewer mark with telepic "Ben 10: Race Against Time." Silver said he aims to make the bigscreen version a potential franchise starter.

The Warners-based Silver said his sons clued him in to the world of Ben Tennyson, a boy who can transform into 10 different alien creatures with the help of a glovelike device called the Omnitrix.

"I think we have to try something fresh and go at it in a way that stays true to the original material," Silver said. "I have a 5-year-old and a 9-year-old, so it's somewhere between them."

It's not Silver's first foray into kids' action films, of course. "I tried to do (something similar) with 'Speed Racer' and failed miserably," he said. "You always learn more from the ones that don't work than the ones that do work."

"Ben 10" licensed goods have been notably successful for Cartoon, with several toy lines already established. The franchise also ranks No. 1 among the net's properties in electronic sales (including several vidgames and on-demand replays of episodes and movies).

Dark Castle's Steve Richards (who has signed on to produce with fellow shingle co-prexy Andrew Rona and Silver) said that the bigscreen version of "Ben 10" would be completely recast from the character's previous live-action incarnations, and that the producers want to go as big as possible with the project.

"We really see this as a large, big-budgeted tentpole movie," Richards said.

Silver and Dark Castle are currently seeking writers for "Ben 10." Meanwhile, Silver said he's preparing to kick into high gear on "Project X," which is slated for next year, and "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," skedded for December.

Also little details were give but sounded intriguing about the DC Nation Block coming up on cartoon Network that will act as real time comic book store news on Cartoon Network and more possibly featuring adverts for getting things at your local comic store, or tickers letting viewers know whats going on in comic stores nationwide.

Kiel Phegley wrote:The multimedia might of DC Entertainment earned a vote of confidence from one of its most frequent Warner Bros. family partners today as the up front for kids cable giant Cartoon Network revealed a new strategic partnership between DC and CN with a familiar name to comic fans.

As revealed in Turner Broadcasting's official press release about the annual up front which reveals the slate of Cartoon Network's shows for 2012, a brand-new DC Nation block of programming will occupy major space in the channel's plans for 2012.

Described as "a multi-platform, branded block of original programming," DC Nation will be seen primarily on air starting next year with promises of exclusive online content as well. “DC Nation on Cartoon Network will be the first-ever dedicated broadcast destination to showcase the depth and breadth of the DC Universe,” DCE President Diane Nelson said in the release. “We and our partners at WBTV are thrilled that fans will be able to immerse themselves in DC’s phenomenal stories, experience a wide spectrum of amazing characters and stay up-to-date on the latest happenings of the world’s greatest superheroes and their creators, both on-air and online.”

While there were no program specifics at this point in time for the DC Nation block itself, however plenty of news hit that would be of interest to comic fans. The network officially confirmed debuts for animated series fans have been aware of for a while now including "Green Lantern: The Animated Series" – a CGI show hitting on the heels of the incoming Warner Bros. movie – as well as the anime relaunch of '80s iconic toon "ThunderCats."

Furthermore, Cartoon Network executives confirmed new season orders for existing comic shows including "Batman: The Brave & The Bold" and "Young Justice" as well as declaring more expansion plans for the "Ben 10" franchise created by comic collective Man of Action (the current "Ultimate Alien" series earns a new season while another iteration of the show, still unnamed, is in the works).

Even more offbeat sections of the comics world got in on the action as plans for more "MAD" animated shorts based on the comics humor magazine were announced as well as the official release of cartoonist Ben Jones' "The Problem Solverz."

For more on DC Nation and all the news out of the Cartoon Network up front, see Turner Broadcasting, and be sure to stay tuned to CBR News and Spinoff Online for more on all the DC/WB shows in store for the future.

See what's in store for Finn, Jake, and all their friends from the mystical Land of Ooo as Cartoon Network's breakout hit comes to you live with a star-studded panel of talent, including show creator Pendleton Ward, Jeremy Shada (Finn), Hynden Walch (Princess Bubblegum), Olivia Olson (Marceline the Vampire Queen), Kent Osborne (storyboard artist), and others. If you want to see sneak peaks of upcoming episodes (and we know you do!), be the first to learn about upcoming special events (don't deny it!), and want to get your hands on some algebraic Adventure Time gear (Hammacow!), you do not want to miss this totally out-of-this-world panel! Room 6A

Thomas J. McLean wrote:To Snarf or not to Snarf was the unusual question facing exec producer Sam Register and the creative team at Warner Bros. Animation as they were developing an updated version of the 1980s hit cartoon show "ThunderCats."

"You had to ask the question; it was in the room," says Register, who describes Snarf as "the most annoying animated character ever created."

The final call came down to a group affectionately dubbed "ThunderDads" -- fans of the original series who now have kids of their own -- and whether they would accept a "ThunderCats" show without Snarf.

"We were like, 'The ThunderDads will flip out if we don't (include Snarf),' " says Register, who as exec VP, creative affairs of Warner Bros. Animation leads the creative side of the studio's productions. "And we do not want to upset the ThunderDads."

That call has paid off, with "ThunderCats" debuting on Cartoon Network as a top-rated show. And despite having been off the air for 20 years, "ThunderCats" still had enough brand recognition to launch a toy line that's been selling well for Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

The series is a prime example of the model Register has used to revitalize WB Animation in the three years since he took the reins, plumbing the studio's vast catalog and working with sister companies like WBCP, Cartoon Network and DC Entertainment for properties to reinvent as TV shows that double as profitable brands.

WB Animation operates from an unassuming one-story building just inside the gate at the ranch complex north of the main lot in Burbank. Past hallways lined with display cases packed with animation memorabilia are production offices for the seven series the studio has in production. Each show has its own area, with cubicles and walls plastered with sketches, model sheets and artwork.

Register's spacious office features original comic and animation art on the walls, as well as stacks of old comicbooks and piles of new toys. He speaks with a fan's enthusiasm. After briefly attending the Kubert School for comicbook artists, he went into advertising and specialized in toy ads because, well, he loves toys. In 1997 he became senior VP and creative director of Cartoon Network Online and quadrupled traffic to the site. He later become a creative exec at Cartoon Network, overseeing such hits as "Teen Titans" and "Ben 10." He took over WB Animation at a time when the studio's output was at an all-time low and has quickly turned it around.

"At Cartoon Network, I felt like maybe most other networks, that you have to fill slots, and here we have to make great stuff to fill other people's slots," he says.

Register says his mandate from Warner Bros. Television prexy Peter Roth is to make the most compelling content possible. The biggest and best tool for doing so is WB's enormous library of animated characters, which includes the Looney Tunes gang, the output of the Hanna-Barbera and the comicbook library of DC Entertainment.

"I think we at Warner Bros. forget that we have this big library and there are other animation studios -- both TV and theatrical -- who would do anything to have access to the library that we have," says Register.

But producing shows that double as brands that can be exploited across studio divisions has become essential for animation in the past decade. Gone are the days when distribution fees and syndication alone could put a show in the black. Now revenues from ancillary departments -- especially consumer products -- are essential.

"You can recoup a certain amount of the budget from the actual distribution of the show, but not nearly what you could 10 years ago," says Brad Globe, president of WB Consumer Products. "That means other divisions, whether it's the consumer products division, the video division, the game division, need to monetize the cost of the animation."

The ease in selling established brands to retailers and consumers is another reason to exploit the studio's vast library, and Register has sought out star properties as he's ramped up production to seven series.

In addition to "ThunderCats," the studio relaunched its signature characters this summer with "The Looney Tunes Show." The series relocates Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and their pals to the suburbs for a modern, half-hour comedy show. Supported by a handful of theatrical shorts, the show preemed well on CN. Ratings have been on the rise, with the Sept. 6 episode delivering a series high 4.6 rating, up 24% from 3.7 the previous week, in the key kids 6-11 demo. A second season has been ordered.

The studios' other productions are "MAD," a sketch comedy show for kids derived from the magazine that is routinely the No. 1 series its timeslot across all key boy demos; "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated," an update of Hanna-Barbera's crime-fighting teens and dog; and a trio of DC superhero series in "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," "Young Justice" and a new CG-animated "Green Lantern" series to build on the release of the live-action feature. The company is also producing features for home entertainment, including the DC Universe series of comicbook adaptations, and "Tom and Jerry & the Wizard of Oz," which merges two classic MGM properties.

There's no secret to the development process, Register says, other than to try to maintain the essential elements that define each franchise and putting everything else on the table.

"The real challenge with this stuff is if you go out to make exactly what was made before, we will fail," says Register. "You can't put that lightning back in the bottle, you need to create something new and at the same time leave your core elements."

Internally, Register works closely to develop the shows with a small group of WB Animation vets, such as superhero icon Bruce Timm, exec producer on "Green Lantern" and the DC Universe features; Tony Cervone and Spike Brandt, supervising producers on "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" and "The Looney Tunes Show"; Peter Girardi, senior VP, series and alternative animation; and Jay Bastian, VP, series.

"I try to let the creatives just be creative and I personally am trying to stay more aware of the brand," says Register. "I know that there are things that the toy company is going to really need and I know that there's things that consumer products is going to really need to make a successful toy line. … If it's driven only by the needs of the toys the show will not be good."

Globe echoes that sentiment. "If the kids don't value the shows from a content perspective, then in the long run it's really probably not going to help your consumer products business as much as you need it to."

Collaboration with other departments also is essential. For example, "MAD" came from Cartoon Network execs who asked for a certain type of show, matching that need to the right property. "That is a stunning example of a Warner Bros.-owned property that fits exactly into the Cartoon Network brand plan, and it's No. 1 in its time slot," says Rob Sorcher, CN's chief content officer.

"MAD" averages a 4.0 rating among kids 6 - 11, improving Cartoon's time period performance by 21% vs. 3.3 during the same time frame last year (Aug. 22-Sept. 9, 2011 vs. Aug. 23-Sept. 20, 2010); it also averages 2.055 million total viewers, improving over the time period by 11% vs. 1.854 million last year.

Another example is "DC Nation," a programming block set to debut next summer that's a joint venture between WB Animation, Cartoon Network and DC Entertainment. The block will spotlight all aspects of the DC brand, from comicbook news to behind-the-scenes info on upcoming DC movie projects and a new series of animated shorts.

DC Entertainment chief creative officer Geoff Johns says it helps immensely that Register and WB Animation respect and care about DC as much as anyone and have been successful in giving its characters the exposure they need to become brands.

Register says he intends to expand the output of WB Animation, and there are plans for what he calls alternative series that are aimed at an older, "Adult Swim"-type audience.

But for now the plan is to stick with the library and make shows for kids, with a new "Tom and Jerry" series next in development, Register says. "I think that we still have a lot of great characters that pop up in the library that we still need to get to get to."

Charles Webb wrote:With a batch of episodes from Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time hitting DVD this week under the title Adventure Time: My Two Favorite People, at MTV Geek we thought it’d be great to chat with one of heroic boy Finn’s least favorite people, the socially awkward, princess kidnapping prone Ice King. And since the Ice King isn’t a real person, we did the next best thing and spoke to the voice actor behind him, Tom Kenny. Kenny has been in fixture in voice over work since taking on additional voices in the English language version of Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso back in 1992.

Since then, Kenny’s become most well known for his most enduring character: Spongebob Squarepants, whose shows enters its astounding 13th season this year. But if you’re a viewer of a certain age, you might also remember him as Heffer Wolfe from the brilliantly dark Rocko’s Modern Life as well as work in front of the camera as a regular on the short-lived sketch series, Mr. Show. Looking at his list of credits, the breadth of roles he’s taken on in his nearly 20 year career of voice acting is staggering.

We spoke to Mr. Kenny about voice acting and his current roles, the longevity of Spongebob, the subversive nature of Bugs Bunny, and what the Ice King has in common with some serial killers.

MTV Geek: How did you find your voice for the Ice King?

Tom Kenny: You know, the picture kind of drove it. One thing I tried not to do was go back and look at the original short where the Ice King was voiced by somebody else because I didn’t want to be infected by any kind of subconscious earwigs.

But my approach to the Ice King is that he’s a very real psychopath [laughs]. He’s the kind of guy that they would do a 48 Hours Investigates about, where none of his neighbors know that much about him but they realize there’s that weird smell coming from his house and they dig up a bunch of weird stuff in the basement. That’s definitely the Ice King. And then when they capture the psychotic killer, he can’t realize why everybody’s mad at him.

Geek: That’s a pretty dark take on the character.

Kenny: It is, but I think with voice over in general and any of this stuff—even though it takes place in this stylized world—you have to approach it as though that world really exists and then play that role according to the rules of that world. You know, whether that’s a dark and nihilistic Frank Miller-esque world or whether it’s a weird, bubbly, saturated color Spongebob world or the world of Oo in Adventure Time.

He’s one of those guys who’s so pathological that he doesn’t realize why anyone would be angry at him. I mean, all he’s doing is taking women and holding them captive so they’ll be his friends. Is there anything so wrong with that? There’s quote around that, by the way [laughs]. Tom Kenny thinks there’s something wrong with that, just to be very clear.

But you know what I mean? Occasionally, criminals will go, “Yes, I had these women chained in my basement, but I fed them, they had a bucket to go to the bathroom in—they were living the life down there in my dungeon.

Geek: So I take it it’s not a surprise that the show has such a strong adult following?

Kenny: No, I’m not surprised that adults gravitate towards the show because it’s obviously not a show expressly for kids—I have kids who both love Adventure Time—but it’s rated TV-10, so you can go some places that TV-G or whatever the hell the dumb, arbitrary rating is. You can go places that those shows don’t, you know? I think the folks at Cartoon Network were smart enough to see that Pen Ward has this world, he’s the architect of this world and he’s got to be the one to show you around it. And he’ll decide what’s in it.

Geek: Are your kids old enough to get the jokes in the show, or do you have to explain any of the humor to them?

Kenny: No, not at all. My 13-year-old is right in the pocket for that show. He gets all the references to game-playing culture—old-school, first generation video games, which, to these kids, is ancient history, but they still know a lot about old Nintendo games and things like that. They’re amazingly knowledgeable about the history of that stuff. And obviously, that’s part of Pen Ward’s obsession list, too—you know, early video games, role-playing games.

He always lists The Simpsons in terms of being a place that feels very real and has tons of people in it, some of whom you see and meet, occasionally, and a lot of them you don’t. But they’re all kind of lurking there.

And I don’t think—my kids don’t need jokes explained. For me as a parent and as a former kid, a lot of jokes are time released, anyway. A lot of jokes from Looney Tunes that you watch as a kid and then look them up 30 years later and you saw the thing they were making fun of. You go, “Oh! That’s from that joke in that Bugs Bunny cartoon! Duh!”

Geek: Do you feel like cartoon humor is any more subversive than it was back when they were making Looney Tunes?

Kenny: Well, I think that people who make cartoons in general tend to have a subversive element to them, otherwise they wouldn’t be doing what they’re doing [and would be] working some Dilbert-type job in a cubicle [Note: Kenny actually provided the voice of Ratbert for the animated Dilbert series]. So it’s almost like you have to be subversive just to be crazy enough to storm the barricades of this nutty business.

I would say that pretty much every show creator that I’ve ever worked with was subversive in a certain way. And a lot of times, creating a show comes out of discontentment with what’s out there already, or you don’t see the kind of show that you’d like to see and you go “Hey, I’ll just make the show that I want to see.”

Geek: Was animation always a career track for you? Was it always something you were attracted to doing?

Kenny: Very much so. Ever since I was a kid that was my fantasy baseball career.

Geek: Who did you look up to in the animation world?

Kenny: Yeah, I was the weird kid. Voice over-wise, I mean the usual suspects: Mel Blanc and Stan Freberg, Dawes Butler, June Foray, people like that were very much on my radar when I was a kid in a way that I realize now was extremely odd.

Geek: Do you find there are just as many young people interested in voice acting like you were?

Kenny: Oh yeah, there’s a million people interested in it. A lot of them are movie stars, or they’re already movie stars I should say.

But there are a lot of really talented younger actors that you work with and go, “Wow, that guy’s great. In a couple of years, he’s going to be one of us!” There definitely is new blood coming in that’s really gifted. Then you kind of see the ones that aren’t going to make it and you go, “Wow, she really shouldn’t be cleaning out her purse while the director’s trying to direct her!”

Geek: What do you think the thing is that a voice actor needs more than anything else?

Kenny: Um, I would say probably, more than anything else, the skill that comes in handy—and a lot of it is due to the great work of the writers and show creators—is to just immerse yourself into the world that they put before you. And just don’t be afraid to take it as far as you feel like taking it, and if it’s too much, they’ll pull you back, and if it’s not enough, they’ll say “Amp it up a little bit.”

These guys are very clear on their creations and how they want them to come across. So there’s definitely no shortage of input from the creators, which is as it should be since, you know, it’s their baby. Voice actors are just one of the tools in their box.

Geek: Have you ever thought about striking out on your own and creating your own character or show?

Kenny: Yeah, I’ve done that a couple of times, here and there. Once and a while I get hornswoggled into it. But I have to do it every so often just to remind myself how hard on your psyche being a creator of a show is and how many battles you have to fight with various people in charge of things and how wearing that kind of stuff could be. Especially if, like me, you’re used to going in, playing your drums, and leaving.

Geek: What else do you have coming up that you’re really excited about?

Kenny: Yeah, I’m always working on something. Spongebob is still going strong—stronger than ever, actually. The ratings—they told us yesterday—they keep getting higher, which is extremely strange and unusual. I don’t even try to figure it out. I just accept it as the bizarre gift from wherever—like the soda bottle that comes down and hits the guy in the head in The Gods Must Be Crazy, that’s kind of what Spongebob is for me.

And I do a lot of stuff for Disney, I do Rabbit for Winnie the Pooh, I do Ice King for Adventure Time, I do Dr. Octopus in the upcoming Ultimate Spider-Man series. I do one of the main villains, Zilius Zoxx in the Green Lantern animated series, so pretty much every day of my life is running around screaming my brains out!

Sometimes I’ve got stuff that’s funny, sometimes I’ve got stuff that’s really dark and end of the world, and some of it’s for four-year-olds, and some of it’s for Adult Swim audiences.

And, you know, it’s all fun.

Adventure Time: My Two Favorite People is on shelves this week. New episodes of Adventure Time air Mondays at 8 on Cartoon Network.

Kevin Melrose wrote:A CG-animated series called Beware the Batman will debut on Cartoon Network in 2013, joining a DC Nation programming block that includes Young Justice, Green Lantern: The Animated Series and newly announced shorts featuring Plastic Man, Doom Patrol, Batgirl, Supergirl and Wonder Girl.

The news emerged over the weekend in Cannes, France, at the MIP Junior conference — two days of presentations, pitches and workshops focusing on kids’ entertainment — where Sam Register, executive vice president for creative affairs at Warner Bros. Animation, gave the keynote address.

Register revealed that Beware the Batman, executive produced by Glen Murakami (Batman Beyond, Teen Titans), will feature the Dark Knight teamed with a gun-toting Alfred Pennyworth and Katana, the sword-wielding samurai from DC Comics.

“Katana is gonna be his new Robin, but not necessarily,” Register told the crowd.

He said the series will delve deeper into the Caped Crusader’s “villain library,” a claim underscored by the the promotional image, which includes Professor Pyg and the Circus of the Strange, introduced during Grant Morrison’s run on Batman.

“We went in deeper into the villain library and pulled out some other villains,” Register said. “We didn’t want to do another Joker story — there’s too many of them. We just needed to do something new, so we’re starting off with new villains.”

He also announced that the one-hour DC Nation block, which premieres in spring 2012, will include a mixture of animated shorts and live-action interstitials, the latter of which will showcase the fans, collectors and creators who make up the DC Universe (DC Comics Co-Publisher Jim Lee appears in the sizzle reel). As for the former: Look for Aardman Animation-produced Batman claymation shorts, shorts featuring Plastic Man and the Doom Patrol, and from the creator of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Batgirl, Supergirl and Wonder Girl starring in Super Best Friends Forever.

Albert Ching wrote:Batman: The Brave and the Bold is ending its three-season run imminently, but DC’s iconic hero won’t be away from TV sets for too long.

Comic Book Movie is reporting that Warner Bros. Animation has announced Beware the Batman, a CGI-animated series targeted for 2013 on Cartoon Network. The news comes from the recently wrapped MIP Junior showcase in Cannes, France.

Batman is described as “classic-looking,” fighting alongside a, wait for it, “gun-toting Alfred Pennyworth.” With the status of a Robin currently unclear, it looks Katana will be playing the main sidekick role, a character currently co-starring in The New 52′s Birds of Prey. The character has a recent past in animation, showing up Brave and the Bold episode “Enter the Outsiders!”

Along with the usual villain slate of your Jokers and your Penguins, Beware the Batman will also feature newer and lesser-known antagonists, with Professor Pyg — created during Grant Morrison’s Batman run — specifically mentioned in reports.

World’s Finest fills in with some more details on Cartoon Network’s DC-related offerings, saying that the “DC Nation” block is scheduled to debut in spring 2012, with a Doom Patrol series in development, along with My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (which has developed a surprisingly strong online following among male “bronies” 18-35 ) showrunner Lauren Faust working on a series of shorts starring Wonder Girl, Supergirl and Batgirl titled “Super Best Friends Forever.”

The next DC animated series to premiere will be Green Lantern: The Animated Series, with a sneak preview airing in November before its proper debut in spring 2012. An even earlier preview can be had next week at New York Comic Con, where the first episode will be screened on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Update: The entire keynote from Sam Register of Warner Bros. Animation is online and embedded below, with the “DC Nation” and Beware the Batman segments starting around 30:30 in. And as you can tell from the above image, they weren’t kidding about a gun-toting Alfred. (Or Professor Pyg.)

Brian Gallagher wrote:I recently had the chance to speak with Kurtwood Smith for Dead Poets Society, which makes its Blu-ray debut January 17. The actor also spoke about his role voicing Lieutenant Gordon in the upcoming Cartoon Network series Beware the Batman, which will premiere in 2013. The show will be a part of the network's new DC Nation animation block, which also includes Young Justice and Green Lantern: The Animated Series. Here's what Kurtwood Smith had to say about the show.

"We just started. We've only recorded two, before Christmas. I like the general thrust of the show. It's early in the Batman story. Commissioner Gordon isn't even Commissioner yet, he's just Lieutenant Gordon. He doesn't trust Batman, even though they kind of end up helping each other out on an early case. Batman, in a lot of ways, is learning his way, and the relationship between he and Alfred is developing. It's fun and it's kind of straight in that regard, as opposed to being campy. I think it's going to be good, but it won't be out for at least a year or so."

Carol Pinchefsky wrote:Aardman Animations is one of the world's most awesome animation studios. We know this for a fact, because they gave us the Wallace & Gromit films, as well as Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Chicken Run. Now Aardman is putting its mad claymation skills to work to promote "DC Nation," the DC Comics-based block of programming on the Cartoon Network.

Fans of Aardman know that the studio won an Academy Award for the short film Creature Comforts, made in 1989 and helmed by soon-to-be-animation-superstar Nick Park. Creature Comforts showed us a slice of life in a zoo, voiced by children. Here, this promo for DC Nation references that award-winning film. So we also hear the voices of children ... but the visuals are pure DC (um, more or less).

Like Creature Comforts, it's cute as hell. Unlike Creature Comforts, it's far too short. But hey, when it comes to Aardman, we'll take all the fabulous claymation we can get.

C. Edwards wrote:A quick glance at animation director Robert Valley’s filmography reveals major projects from storyboard work on Aeon Flux in 1994 to animation for big corporate names like Nike and Coca Cola, and working with Passion Pictures on music videos and short films for the Gorillaz. When he discussed his latest project—a new feature film being released online in installments called Shinjuku—with Cartoon Brew he was quick to relate his professional experiences with that of an assistant coach in the major league. “At some point I needed to venture out and present myself as a coach in my own right, so regardless of success or failure I feel compelled to put myself out there and see what happens.”

Shinjuku, which is a Twistory property by Christopher ‘Mink’ Morrison and Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy), is a work of noir fiction based in a Tokyo of a not-too-distant future. Morrison presented the project to Valley with the intention of adapting it into a feature-length bigscreen film. Valley has been directing segments of the film, which are being released online in short installments, while simultaneously collecting the artwork from the episodes into book form. “What’s really important for me is this cross-over between animation and graphic novel, so periodically we will be releasing a book based on the animated films,” Valley explained. “This [is] my goal, film, book, film book, and so on…”

Over the last several years, Valley has been honing his personal aesthetic by self-publishing his own comic series—turned—animated film, Massive Swerve, which has become a creative jumping off point for defining his approach. “This has been a great way to develop a personal style and voice. I take ideas from my Massive Swerve books and re-purpose them for the task at hand.” His look, which he defines as a “burning man/muscle car/beach theme” was heavily debated by comic book fanboys when DC Comics unveiled his recent Wonder Woman shorts for their DC Nation franchise.

The shorts, produced by Valley and his buddy Jorden Oliwa, and featuring Wonder Woman as a West Coast urbanite cruising the shores in her invisible Charger, seemed to be a perfect fit for DC Nation, which showcases creative reinterpretations of popular superhero properties. “Some people like the spin I had,” Valley said. “Others are completely repulsed by it.” When you consider the fickle nature of comic book geeks, perhaps that is the greatest compliment one can receive.

New Original and Acquired Programming:• Over The Garden Wall: Headlined by an all-star voice-cast that includes Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings Trilogy), Collin Dean (The War at Home) and Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men), Over the Garden Wall is Cartoon Network’s first event mini-series, an animated comedy/fantasy story about two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who are trapped in a mysterious world. In this ten-part mini-series, Wirt and Greg must travel across this strange land until they find their way home, aided by a wise old Woodsman who gives them directions and a bluebird named Beatrice. Music plays an important role in the series with a soundtrack full of Americana-influenced original songs. Over The Garden Wall is created by Pat McHale and produced by Cartoon Network Studios.

• Clarence: From creator Skyler Page and premiering Monday, April 14 at 7 p.m., Clarence is a new, original animated series about an optimistic boy who wants to do everything. Because everything is amazing! Clarence was conceived as part of the prolific shorts development program at Cartoon Network Studios, which has resulted in six original series for the network: Regular Show, Uncle Grandpa, Steven Universe, Clarence, Over the Garden Wall and We Bare Bears .

• We Bare Bears: We Bare Bears is a comedy about three bear siblings, named Grizzly, Panda and Ice Bear. Each episode follows their awkward attempts at assimilating into human society, whether they’re looking for food, trying to make human friends, or scheming to become internet famous. Whatever the situation, it’s obvious that being a bear in the civilized, modern world is tough—but at least they have each other. Created by Annie Award-winner Daniel Chong (Toy Story of Terror!), We Bare Bears is produced by Cartoon Network Studios.

• The Tom and Jerry Show: The iconic cat and mouse rivals are back in The Tom and Jerry Show, a new, fresh take on the classic series. Preserving the look, characters and sensibility of the original, the all-new series shines a brightly colored, high-definition lens on the madcap slapstick and never-ending battle that has made Tom and Jerry two of the most beloved characters of all time. The Tom and Jerry Show is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and will premiere Wednesday, April 9 at 5:30 p.m.

• Be Cool Scooby-Doo!: Be Cool Scooby-Doo! is an all-new 22-minute animated comedy series from Warner Bros. Animation. The Scooby gang is back with a modern comedic twist on the beloved classic. With high school over and one last summer to live it up, the gang hits the road in the Mystery Machine, chasing fun and adventure. But monsters and mayhem keep getting in the way.

• Wabbit—A Looney Tunes Production: The hilarious, heroic and mischievous Bugs Bunny you love is back! From Warner Bros. Animation, Bugs stars in an all-new series consisting of comedic shorts that find the iconic carrot-loving rabbit matching wits against (and getting the best of) classic characters like Yosemite Sam and Wile E. Coyote. Along the way, Bugs will encounter brand-new foes…and he’ll have some help from new friends like Bigfoot and Squeaks the squirrel.

• LEGO® NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu: Continuing its robust partnership with The LEGO Group, Cartoon Network will re-introduce viewers to the awesome world of NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu with six new half-hour animated specials in 2014, followed by all-new episodes of the highly popular series slated for 2015.

• Sonic Boom™: Sonic the Hedgehog has been one of the world’s biggest gaming icons for over 20 years and this year a new branch of the Sonic universe debuts, entitled Sonic Boom™. With a new look for Sonic and friends, the franchise’s first-ever CG animated television series, an action-packed comedy adventure, will premiere on Cartoon Network with support from an extensive video game release of the same name. The Sonic Boom television series, coproduced by SEGA® of America, Inc. and OuiDO! Productions, will debut on Cartoon Network in the 2014/2015 season.• Total Drama: Pahkitew Island: All-new island! All-new cast! Same old disregard for human safety! The Total Drama series returns as Chris and Chef put the newest generation of contestants through the craziest challenges yet—all for a chance to win one million dollars! Total Drama Island is produced by Fresh TV Inc.

• Numb Chucks: Woodchuck brothers Dilweed and Fungus didn’t always see themselves as mystical Kung Fu saviors until they stumbled upon an infomercial featuring mega legend Woodchuck Morris’ mullet-fueled motivational kung-fu video “The Way of the Chuck!” With an endless supply of confidence but a limited supply of brain cells, and countless hours of watching the video, this dimwitted duo transmorph-ified into THE NUMB CHUCKS!

• Beyraiderz: Sho, Jin and Leon find themselves trapped on a strange world once defended by the Six Mythic Beasts who upheld justice and brought prosperity for all through the battling BeyRaiderz tournaments. When the Beasts mysteriously disappeared, the world fell into ruin, and now it’s up to Sho and his friends to uncover the hidden BeyRaiderz stadiums, to battle to bring the Beasts back and restore prosperity to the world!

• Angelo Rules (Season 2): For a kid, life can be a daily battle. There are adults, siblings, teachers and rivals telling them what to do, what not to do, what to say… Well, it’s time for kids to take control and Angelo’s here to show the way! He observes and then comes up with elaborate strategies to wheedle, sweet-talk, con, and work around any adversary. Season two of this new series comes from TeamTo and Cake Entertainment.

• Detentionaire: Framed for a major prank and punished with a full year of detention, high schooler Lee Ping sneaks out of detention to try to expose who was really behind the prank and avoid being caught by the school’s principal Barrage. After clearing his name, Lee again attempts to sneak out of Barrage’s upgraded detention room, discovering that a strange pyramid under the school has something to do with Lee’s key, the parents council and the blue tazwurms. There is more to the school than meets the eye! Created by animators Daniel Bryan Franklin & Charles Johnston, Detentionaire is distributed by Nelvana.

• Rocket Jo: Rocket Jo is an inventor-adventurer: his unique goal is to get his jet-pack to function and send him flying in the air for good…without effect. But his valiant attempts are always a false dawn to viewers’ great delight, as there always are failures, gags, explosions, falls, etc. Produced by Millimages and 2D3D, Rocket Jo works hard, drawing upon all his imagination, to make viewers laugh, both children and parents.

NELLIE ANDREEVA wrote:EXCLUSIVE: Cartoon Network is entering the longform business. The 20-year-old network has greenlighted its first miniseries, Over The Garden Wall. The 10-epsiode comedy-fantasy mini is based on the short Tome Of The Unknown, which hails from Cartoon Network Studios’ shorts program and won the best animation short film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival last month.

Elijah Wood — reprising his role from Tome — Melanie Lynskey and Collin Dean lead the voice cast of Over The Garden Wall. It revolves around two brothers, Wirt (Wood) and Greg (Dean), who find themselves lost in a mysterious land and try to find their way home, aided by a wise old woodsman and a bluebird named Beatrice (Lynskey). Over The Garden Wall was created by Pat McHale, who wrote and directed the original short and also worked on Cartoon Net’s Adventure Time. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, the mini will premiere in the fall.

Michael O'Connell wrote:New event programming includes mini Long Live the Royals, a movie spin on series Regular Show and a miniseries of standby Adventure Time. There's also a crossover of series Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa that the network is pushing this upfront — and acquisitions Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race, Transformers: Robots in Disguise and Supernoobs. Looking ahead, the 2016 return of The Powerpuff Girls is something Miller says everyone is welcoming. "It was a great series that appealed to a wide audience," she adds. "If you look at our current daytime, it's the perfect moment for that show to come back."

The Powerpuff Girls: Slated for a 2016 launch, The Powerpuff Girls reboot will include an all-new television series produced by Cartoon Network Studios and a full licensing program slated to roll out across all regions. One of the network’s most enduring original series, The Powerpuff Girls, which debuted on Cartoon Network in 1998, earned two Emmy Awards, five nominations and countless animation honors throughout its 78-episode run. The Powerpuff Girls centers on three sugar-coated superheroes — Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup — whose mission in life alternates between going to school, fighting crime, winning at hopscotch and saving the world before bedtime. Emmy and BAFTA award winner Nick Jennings (Adventure Time) is on board as executive producer.

Steven Universe/Uncle Grandpa Crossover Special “Say Uncle”: Two of your favorite Cartoon Network series, Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa, are joining forces for a special crossover episode! Watch as a long-lost relative of Steven’s comes to town to aid him in unlocking the power of his mother’s gem!

Regular Show: The Movie: From the creators of the hit Cartoon Network series Regular Show, comes a time-traveling longform special. After accidentally creating a “Timenado,” slacker groundskeepers Mordecai and Rigby go back in time and battle an evil volleyball coach in order to save the universe — and their friendship.

Adventure Time Special Miniseries: In this multi-part series, Finn and Jake face a new threat to Ooo when Princess Bubblegum’s experiment unleashes ghosts from Marceline’s past.

Amid Amidi wrote:Encouraged by Paramount’s success with its second SpongeBob feature, Warner Bros. is pressing forward on the development of a feature-length version of the Cartoon Network series Adventure Time.

The animated film will be produced by Chris McKay, the animation supervisor of The LEGO Movie and director of the forthcoming The LEGO Batman Movie, and Roy Lee (Vertigo Entertainment), one of 18 producers on The LEGO Movie.

Adventure Time creator Pen Ward will have some involvement with the film, according to Deadline, specifically “in writing and producing the feature version.” When Ward stepped away from day-to-day production on the TV series last fall, he expressed interest in writing a feature film version of the show someday. Cartoon Network Studios and Frederator Studios will also be involved in the theatrical version.

Erik Pedersen wrote:Prepare to bid a fond farewell to bacon pancakes. Cartoon Network announced today that its Peabody- and Emmy-winning animated series Adventure Time will be ending in 2018 — eight years and 71 hours of programming after it began. Adventure Time content will continue to debut on Cartoon Network over the next two years, including specials, miniseries and the ninth and final season.

The Pendleton Ward-created series centers on the post-apocalyptic adventures of Finn the Human (Jeremy Shada) and Jake the Dog (John DiMaggio), best friends who have increasingly surreal adventures in the magical Land of Ooo. Long acclaimed for its groundbreaking visual style and mixture of darkness and whimsy, the show has won six Emmys and two BAFTAs. It has also long attracted numerous celebrity guests including Andy Samberg, Matthew Broderick, Laura Silverman, George Takei, Rainn Wilson and Neil Patrick Harris.

Since its 2010 debut, Adventure Time has been one of Cartoon Network’s most enduring cult hits, spawning a passionate fanbase of both kids and adults and becoming an incubator for emerging talent, some of whom have gone on to create such hits as Steven Universe, Over the Garden Wall and Clarence. It has also spun off more than 100 global licenses including an apparel line, a comic book series, toys and video games.

“Adventure Time changed the definition of what a kids’ TV series could be, and it’s had a resounding impact upon popular culture around the world,” said Rob Sorcher, chief content officer for Cartoon Network. “Cartoon Network Studios is proud to have brought together this group of brilliant artists and animators who helped make Adventure Time one of the most critically acclaimed TV series of a generation.”

Said Ward: “Adventure Time was a passion project for the people on the crew who poured their heart into the art and stories. We tried to put into every episode something genuine and telling from our lives, and make a show that was personal to us, and that had jokes too! I’m really happy that it connected with an audience for so long. It’s a special thing, I think.”

Executive produced by Adam Muto and produced by Cartoon Network Studios, the ninth and final season of Adventure Time is currently in production.